Dynamic Text Input???

Question

Hi everyone again!

I am being really active after a year in the past 24 hours with posting all these questions - I am just building a very exciting WF.

I have a q - so, I have in the middle of the workflow output form one tools, that I should join with another one, however, the match is not exactly the same each run.

For example, this run, I might have Output from Tool 1 like this:

ID      Name

1        China

2         New York

3        London

and output tool 2 like this:

ID      Name

1        USA

2         London

3        Beijing

Each run, the cities might be different, but I will have to match them.

I want to do a "text input" tool, i.e it will take output from tool 1 and i will then in text output write in another column :

ID      Name           Name2

1        China           Beijing

2         New York    USA

3        London        London

The only way it seems to work, is that if i do pre-work and do it manually in excel, but is there a way for me to do it within the workflow? Maybe with a macro ? I have never used macros before so i am not sure, but I feel like i would be able to with a macro get an output from one tool and write manually next to it what it is?

Thanks!
Natalia

DanielG · Answer

You also might need to layer in a Block Until Done so the Output doesnt get written before the test is completed.  I will defer that to anyone else that might want to weigh in there.  As I am not 100% sure how the test tool runs in relation to other processes behind the scenes.

DanielG · Answer

@nataliad18 -- if you use a Text Input Tool (or even an external Excel, SP List, text file, etc) that is connected to a FindReplace Tool within the data stream, you should be able to swap out what you dont want for what you want.  Depending on how dynamic your data is, meaning how often you get new items showing up that arent solved for in the "decoder" you will have to add those new items that show up when they show up.

Also depending on if this will be automated on Server, you May want to build in a join after that will a test tool that "fails" when anything comes out of the data-stream non-joined.  If Test works then just make sure everything from right is unchecked in the Join Output so it continues on its merry way without extra columns. You'd also want to set up an Event to email you on "Workflow Run with Errors". Hopefully this makes sense.

I did a quick mock up with no data just as a visual aid.